Reviews

The Gennum nXZEN PLUS 5500 Bluetooth Headset Review

The Gennum nXZEN PLUS 5500 Bluetooth Headset Review

Alright, alright, settle down! Just because you are looking at a picture of a pink headset, there is no excuse to dismiss the product as “not something I’d be interested in.” It’s also available in a unisex silver; I just wanted to try something different. 😉 With that out of the way, let me tell you about how I gained first-hand knowledge of the? Gennum nXZEN PLUS 5500 Bluetooth Headset‘s noise canceling properties. My buddy Vincent likes to call every time he gets a new headset, so I can tell him how he sounds on it. Generally I’m able to…

The Creative Zen Vision W Review

After my recent, somewhat disappointing experience with the Cowon A2 –and yup, I did in fact return the device–it was time to move on and try another of the available personal media players (PMPs) out on the market. This time, it’s the Creative Zen Vision W. (If you’re into unboxings, take a look at my unboxing on the Vision W.) I’ve been very much looking forward to trying out the Vision W, as in addition to having the standard movie/music/document viewer software, the underlying OS is based on Windows (rather than, say, the modified and proprietary version of Linux that…

iSkin ProTouch Keyboard Protector Review

With the increasing amount of time that people are spending on their computers these days, be it for work or pleasure, eating and drinking in front of the computer is commonplace. With this comes the risk of spilling that coffee or cup of Diet Coke (Judie :P), or dropping crumbs of that cookie into your keyboard, where they will literally put a spanner in the works. Enter the iSkin ProTouch, a product designed to help keep all those nasties off and out of your vulnerable keyboard. The iSkin is a rubber cover that sits on top of your keyboard that…

Unboxing the Fujitsu LifeBook T4215 Tablet PC

How did you ring in 2007? At about 11:50, I got online and placed my last gadget order of 2006 at the Fujitsu site, buying the T4215 Tablet PC. It has been an agonizing 20 days waiting for my first non-UMPC tablet to show up, but it finally shipped from Osaka Japan on the 15th and arrived late last night. My original intention was to film an unboxing, but since I had already given up on delivery for the weekend and was in my pajamas with my hair piled on top of my head, the video idea was waylaid. 😉…

The VITO Technology QuickContact For Pocket PC Phone Edition Review

The VITO Technology QuickContact For Pocket PC Phone Edition Review

If you own a Smartphone with hard numeric buttons or a Pocket PC Phone Edition with an always visible keyboard such as the Treo, then you probably don’t need the program I’ll be talking about today. But if you have a Pocket PC Phone Edition that is all screen with very few hard buttons – such as the HTC Universal, HTC Hermes, and other similarly styled large-screen devices, then you might have noticed that making a one-handed call is not always a simple proposition. Case in point: To make a call from the Treo 700wx, I can hold it in…

The Nokia 770 Internet Tablet Review

The Nokia N800 has been introduced at CES and all of the talk on the Linux based device websites has been about this new device. While I don’t have a N800 yet, I do have a Nokia 770 Internet Tablet and Judie has asked me to write my thoughts about it for Gear Diary. I want to thank Judie for the opportunity to share what is so great about this platform. The Nokia 770 Internet Tablet is the one that started it all for Nokia in a space that has all but dried up for Pocket PC and Palm based…

The Belkin ClearScreen Overlay for Microsoft Zune Review

The Belkin ClearScreen Overlay for Microsoft Zune Review

It just looks like a naked black Zune lying there, right? But looks can be deceiving.This particular Zune has a Belkin ClearScreen Overlay in place, which means that even when it is rattling around the bottom of my Whiskey Chloe Edith, it’s screen will not get scratched by the keys or other pointy objects riding nearby.

The i.Tech Virtual Keyboard (VKB) Review

The i.Tech Virtual Keyboard (VKB) Review

[Ed. note: this review picks up where the Unboxing left off. If you haven’t already read it, read the i.Tech Virtual Keyboard Unboxing first.] This past month with the i.Tech Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard has been a bit of a roller coaster ride for me. During this time, I have managed to learn way more about Bluetooth Stacks and Windows XP Service Pack 2 upgrades than I ever wanted to know…but I’m getting ahead of myself already, and we wouldn’t want that… 😉 As many of you will recall from my previously posted unboxing, the Virtual Keyboard (VKB) is a futuristic…

The Vaja Balance Case for Zune Review

I am trying to remember the last time that I?reviewed a Vaja case and ended up less than pleased. …still trying. After all, it would add so much to my coolness factor if I didn’t get excited every time they sent me a new case to try -?if I could remain aloof, if I didn’t stick my nose against the received item trying to catch a whiff like some kind of leather junkie. But I do. If it was just a matter of how the leather smells, then I might be able to restrain myself…but no. Vaja also makes some…

The Multi-Color LED Flashlight Review

The Multi-Color LED Flashlight Review

What a long way we have come, fire, torches, oil lanterns, and then the common everyday flashlights we all use. The flashlight to me is a neat human invention, a battery source running a bulb all mounted inside a portable casing so that you would never have to be stuck in the dark. The 21st century sure has brought us lots of cool new flashlights which no longer use ordinary filament bulbs, but now use low powered light-emitting diodes (LED’s) and one of the coolest newest flashlights is the Multi-color LED Flashlight sold by ThinkGeek. Sure there are other LED…

The Presto Service and HP Printing Mailbox Review - Part Two

The Presto Service and HP Printing Mailbox Review – Part Two

[Ed. note: This is the follow up to Part One of my review on the HP Printing Mailbox and Presto Service, which can be read here.] Shortly after Christmas, the large box containing the HP Printing Mailbox made its way from Texas to Florida. Once it had shown up at Papa’s, his step-son Rand unpacked it, unwrapped it, and got it hooked up. According to Rand, the entire process took less than ten minutes. At the scheduled time Papa received his first Presto email…

The Spectec SDW-820 SDIO WiFi Card Review

The Spectec SDW-820 SDIO WiFi Card Review

I have to say that the Spectec SDW-820 SDIO WiFi Card is not a product I would have ever needed, if Palm hadn’t decided to deny WiFi to to its legion of WM5 Treo users. I can hear some of you asking it now…”Why would anyone with an all-you-can-eat data plan need WiFi?” Right? Well, because sometimes you do. I’ve been in plenty of airports that offered WiFi service, but because they were built like bunkers my mobile phone’s signal was poor. I’ve also been in other countries where using GPRS data ran my T-Mobile bill into ridiculous sums –…

The Fujitsu T4215 Tablet PC Overview

The Fujitsu T4215 Tablet PC Overview

My purpose here is not so much a review, but some thoughts and observations on what I really like about my new 4215 and what I don’t like. These are the things that as a new Tablet PC owner jumped out at me right away. I would like to begin by explaining how I came to purchase the Fujitsu 4215 in the first place. After years of owning (I still do, of course) Pocket PC devices I came to very much enjoy writing on my screen. It was and is however, a tiny screen. Much as I love handheld devices…

IXT Systems Karaoke Microphone Review

Many of the cheaper DVD players these days include inputs on the front panel for connecting microphones for karaoke. More expensive DVD players however typically don’t include such functionality, and that?s where a company called IXT Systems has stepped in to bridge the gap. They have produced a microphone designed to integrate with any DVD Player to turn it into a full-blown karaoke machine. The microphone comes in a coloured retail box showing pictures of the microphone, and descriptions of what it can do. They definitely didn?t skimp on the package, and it comes across as a quality product. Also…

The Spectec SDG-810 GPS Receiver Unboxed

After all of the excitement caused by my December 23rd post, it was almost anti-climatic to receive the Spectec SDG-810 SDIO GPS Module today. Almost! 😉 Included in the box are the driver disk, the module and a nifty plastic case. The module comes with a 128MB microSD. And I think that it looks pretty odd hanging out of my Treo 700wx. 😉 When the GPS module is installed and the PDA is turned on, an LED indicates that it is operational. Nope, it doesn’t look any smaller on the HTC Universal. It’s okay though…an all-in-one GPS device may be…

The Minds Refined Art Dealer Game Review

The Minds Refined Art Dealer Game Review

Soon after I signed Gear Diary up for Google’s AdSense, I noticed a new advertisement for something called Art Dealer. I had already weeded out the totally irrelevant ads for Kangol hats, heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, a zen garden, and lingerie (don’t ask!), and I was tempted to weed out this ad, too. But instead I made note of the site’s name, and I visited to see what it was all about. After spending a little bit of time at Minds Refined, I was intrigued. Art Dealer is a game where you play “an art lover who is given a…

Creative Zen Vision W Unboxing

After my disappointing experience with the Cowon A2 –and yup, I did return it–but still determined to see if a personal media player (PMP) can be a good thing to have around, I decided to give the Creative Zen Vision W a try (I’m still on the waiting). Once again, the basic specs of the device are intriguing: Creative Zen Vision W (the widescreen version), available at various places for around $300 (30GB) or $375 (60GB) 9.7oz/276g (30GB); 10.5oz/297g (60GB) 4.3″, 480×272 pixel TFT screen (landscape mode, ‘natch) built-in FM radio personal info management (PIM) capability–according to the web site,…

The Booq Mamba L Vertical Shoulder Bag Review

Are you still holding out for your perfect laptop bag? Perhaps you’ve been looking for one that isn’t too fussy, one that has plenty of large storage compartments, one that is made of strong durable materials, that uses a minimum of Velcro, one that has many pockets of all sizes…and most importantly, one that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. If 2007 is the year you have vowed to find your perfect laptop bag, and if you are open to trying a vertical messenger style, then I may have discovered one you would do well to consider… The Booq…

The Palm Treo 750v WM5 Pocket PC Phone Review

The Palm Treo 750v WM5 Pocket PC Phone Review

In August this year I went 3G. I moved over to Three, a 3G-only carrier here in Australia that provides the best prices on calls, caps, data rates and other services. I didn?t want to be locked into any contracts, so I bought both the SIM (or in this case, USIM) and phone outright. I got the Sony Ericsson M600i, which has a fantastic form factor, including a touch screen and thumboard into its very compact dimensions. However, it wasn?t long before I started to have problems. The phone would hang, the email program would crash, calls wouldn?t ring but…

The Psyclone Gamer PSC99 NODUS PSP Sound System Review

The Sony PlayStation Portable, or PSP, is one of the most popular handheld gaming devices available – and with good reason. The PSP features a gorgeous 4.3″, 480 x 272 pixel, TFT, LCD, 16:9 wide screen which provides an amazing gaming experience. This WiFi enabled device is also perfect for use as a portable media player; it can be used to listen to music or to watch full-length movies. To the best of my knowledge, it is also the only device which has its own dedicated movie format available next to the DVD section in almost any electronics’ store. Yet…

The SPB Backup for Pocket PC Review

My Treo started playing up recently, with random software crashes and some sort of battery drain. It got to the point where my Treo would only last 6hrs without any use before it would be dead. I had also just received my MacBook Pro, but I couldn’t get it to sync with it, so I decided it was time for a hard reset. Since I hadn’t been able to sync all my contacts/calendar to my MacBook yet, I needed to get that data off before I did the hard reset. Before I did I loaded up SPB Backup to see…

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